(Photo by Bob O’Neill, 1992)Dr. Jesus
Lying in a hospital bed not given hope to live
The specialists shake their heads, there’s nothing more we can give.
The little boy lies motionless, eyes closed, doesn’t know
He will soon be gone…
Parents bow their heads and pray, a miracle needed today.
Little sister folds her hands and they hear her begin to say…
“Please Dr. Jesus you can heal my brother, you don’t need him in heaven
Like we need him here; he’s only seven…
He’s not very big and he can’t do much, all he needs
Dr. Jesus is your gentle healing touch…”
Standing up, Dr. Jesus felt a tender nudge; someone had touched him with an amazing amount of love…
Looking from the portals He smiled and whispered one word…
Live…
The little boy opened his eyes and said, “Mommy please don’t cry…I just heard Dr. Jesus and I’m not going to die!”
The doctor stood there in shock, he could not believe his eyes…
The little girl smiled from ear to ear and said, “Dr. Jesus does not lie. He is the healer and when you know him like I do, all it takes is one little talk and he’ll do anything for you.”
With hugs and joy filling the room a miracle is seen…
The little girl holding the physicians hand, said, “Just talk to Dr. Jesus and you will see what I mean.”
~Marla Shaw O’Neill December 19, 2017
I was inspired to write this because of Nydia and Alan Crescas 12/17/17. Alan is battling cancer but he is not alone Dr. Jesus is in the battle with him. The call Jesus, Dr. Jesus.
Psalm 103:1-6 King James Version (KJV)
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
I’m Not Old I’ve Just Been Here A Long Time
When I was a young girl I used to dream of being all grown up, doing whatever I wanted to do, with no one to tell me what to do, or, where to go, but these are the thoughts of the immature…childish day dreams…
Looking back on those days I smile and give a little sigh…I’ve come to learn that those wishes are no more true than the ones I have today…I’ve walked through some heavy rains…waited out many storms…the trek of life is not easy and it’s not meant to be I guess. The years with seasons come and go, day in, and day out, thoughts of what was and what is and what’s to come, still wander through my mind.
Getting older the body slows down, grows stiff and weak…giving the mind lots of time to think about many things…
I watched my mother grow old, become feeble but gained a whole lot of wisdom. I saw her grow stronger in the Lord, she’d read her Bible and learned to take One-day-at-a-time…and I watched her take her last breaths and move on into the next life…
I’ve grieved and missed her ever since…
Sometimes, now, I see her looking back at me through my eyes…the eyes she gave me…I look down and see her hands…once young and flawless…now wisdom spots begin to emerge and fingers get tired…I get up to sweep the floor and it’s a real challenge to stand. Bones creak and struggle under the load of the body …the aging process progresses as it should…
I laugh and joke about age and repeat mama’s words, “I’m not old; I’ve just been here a long time.”
I watch my sons growing older too…as they have families of their own. Living their lives and learning as they go.
I know the curse of divorce, as it hits families with a terrible force, and I pray… “Oh God, help them.” I know the devastation of such things and what it will mean in years to come. Brokenness, regret, loneliness, extended families, hurt and pain…Life is hard…but God is good.
My perfect dream was to have a family and a home where there would be Christmas dinners and long talks about memories we all share…My perfect dream was buying that special gift that would bring Ah’s to the receiver and see the joy on my grandchildren’s faces of wonder and delight, sparkles in their eyes. Laughter and happy moments as years would go by. But there are no perfect dreams…only life.
They say life is what you make it. Maybe that’s true. But I think if it was true I’d have made mine a lot different. The thing is you don’t know how it’s going to turn out until years down the road. One things for certain if you are blessed to live a long, hard, life…you get to enjoy the good and the not so good…God has all our days numbered and I’m most grateful for coming to know him when I was a young-girl and that my grandmother and my mother taught me to have faith in God. It’s His grace that has kept me all these years.
All I know is that we should be grateful for the relationships we have in our lives and celebrate each person for who they are. You know, Love doesn’t cost one penny…yet it is the most valuable of anything in this world. I am not talking about selfish love, because well that isn’t love at all.
I’m talking about a Love that is giving. It’s selfless, honest, pure, faithful, not angry, it doesn’t seek its own desires…it’s a Love that is holy…it’s a love that puts others first and does not gossip or kill or harm…the Love I’m talking about only comes from one source, it is supernatural and cannot be bought or sold… it cannot be shattered or wasted…this Love comes from the creator of Love…For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life…John 3:16 I learned this verse as a child. I have never forgotten it. It’s so very important to teach children to memorize Scripture. It sustains us throughout our life. It gives us wisdom and insight. It is God’s living word.
I’ve traveled many roads…seen foreign lands and known many people…
I’ve written a whole lot of words…and read many books…
I’ve been a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, mother-in-law, and a friend…
I’ve done things I’m not proud of and done many things I’m glad I did…
I’ve enjoyed the miracle of motherhood and suffered the loss of loved ones through their death…missing them knowing one day I’ll see them again…
I’ve been young and now am old…I’ve lived through seven decades and witnessed many changes in this ole world…
There have been twelve U.S. Presidents in my life-time so far…
Lately I’ve been pondering all these things and life appears to be surreal…the world I knew is nothing like the world I’m living in…
People now connect through technology…reminds me of Alex Haley’s Brave New World…only it’s not so brave and not so new…but the test tube babies…and virtual reality, we are now witnessing day-dreams coming to life…I don’t seem to fit here…and yet I’m called to a purpose…God does not change…He is still the same…if our ancestors of over 2000 years ago lived today…can you imagine waking up after over 2000 years in the year 2017…well that’s how I feel…
Like I’m living in a world that is unfamiliar to me…a world I don’t understand and cannot fathom for the life of me…how it became so sick…words are twisted and don’t mean what they are supposed to mean…morals are laughed at…doing what’s right is looked down upon and every perversion known and unknown is accepted…
I can imagine how John the Baptist must have felt and Paul and the disciples and Bonhoeffer, men who fought evil, and gave their lives for a world that held no place for them…they looked forward to another world…where love and joy and peace is practiced and lived. No threat of hate or death. This is not a fantasy…this is reality…
As Christians we are living in this world but we are not to be of it…living without judgments…forgive always…stay true to who you know, and what you know…
With age comes wisdom and responsibility. A responsibility to proclaim, to warn, to shout WAKE UP…
As the old song goes…This world is not my home…I’m just a passing through…my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue…the angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, and I can’t, feel at home, in this world anymore…
O Lord you know I have no friend like you, if heaven’s not my home dear Lord what will I do…the angels beckon me from heaven’s open door and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore…
I love my sons and daughters-in-law and grandbabies…I love my husband and extended family. I love my friends and all those God has placed within my path. I pray for all those who are lost and haven’t found their way yet…
I’m going to live until I die…and while I’m here…I will write and pray and read and laugh and keep on going until my last breath… I’LL PROCLAIM…the Gospel of Jesus Christ…Amen!!! For He is My PASSION!
Growing old is a blessing, especially when we know we are forever young…
~M.S. O’Neill December 18, 2017
Proverbs 16:31 The Message (MSG) Gray hair is a mark of distinction, the award for a God-loyal life.
The Light
How dark is darkness? It’s black and void…
There’s no sight; no sound
No light to lead the way…
Searching for what, we cannot say…
For we’ve never seen the light of day…
Never knew the brightness, of a single light, to guide our unknowing way…
We stray…
Shielding our eyes from something just ahead…
An awakening from, the living dead…
Someone comes to carry the light…
Dispelling the darkness from our bed…
Squinting, we shake, our weary head…
A tiny light is shed…
What is this, we cry in delight…we can see within the dead of night…
Light!!
Our souls take flight…
No more groping or stumbling in the dark…
One tiny flame, one little spark, light enters the void
Darkness, destroyed
What is Light?
Not seeing, we see…
This new thing, how can it be…
We’ve stepped into the light
Now all has become so bright…
No more fear, no more fright…
Jesus stepped out of heaven, and brought us, Light!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill December 18, 2017
John 8:12 English Standard Version (ESV) I Am the Light of the World
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12 The Message (MSG) You’re Missing God in All This
Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.”
Inspired by Hanukkah, Bodie Thoene’s, ‘Things that matter!’
Trust
Let me ask you something…
Have you ever been on a road trip and suddenly find that you have no idea where you are? Your GPS has stopped working and the charge, in your cell phone has died, you have no way to communicate with anyone and you’re almost out of gas?
That would be pretty disturbing to say the least.
We’ve come to depend on our technical devices, we trust them way too much…we take it for granted that they are indestructible and totally reliable…
Texting has become the norm to communicate; after all our time is much too valuable to stop and actually call someone. Social Media is our avenue to stay-in-touch with family, friends and acquaintances. Email is our go-to-mode of operation, to make appointments, pay bills online and send a letter. Subscribing to this blog or another, keeps us up on all sorts of cooking, music, dance, artists, sales, and it goes on and on…
So to find ourselves in the middle of nowhere with no way to contact anyone, would be pretty scary…we put our trust in technological apps and devices so that we don’t have to deal with the human factor.
The thing is this…and here is the message…
I am thankful that God never set up our world to be this way. Yes, He created us with a body, soul and emotions and gave us intelligence. He also gave us a free will. He doesn’t control us, or, force us to love him or serve him…He gives us a choice.
On the other hand, there is the enemy of God. Satan. He wants to control everything and does all he can to oppress, depress, kill, steal and destroy everything and everyone God loves. Why, because he rebelled. He is judged. And he knows his time is numbered and it’s running out.
The thing is…we don’t need a GPS to find God, he knows exactly where we are. We do need the Holy Spirit to lead us to God.
We don’t need a cell phone to text God. He has given us his word, His text, which is never old or out of date. He doesn’t need technology or an app to lead, guide or direct us.
We don’t need Social Media to connect with family, friends or acquaintances. When we connect with God we are all part of the same family. We can gather in Jesus name and sing and dance and worship and pray and have dinners and parties that don’t leave you wondering who, is, who, and if your connected or not…You don’t have to friend or un-friend anyone…you can like, and love, and be Wowed, and even be sad, or, angry. With just one click you can be forgiven and share with one another, private messages and group chats and not worry about gossiping or be concerned about the trolls…when you trust God.
What I’m saying is that it is not about using, or, not using technology, because it is a wonderful thing and we would be lost without it in our lives…just as lost as being out on a long road without Jesus in our hearts.
My point here today is to tell you this…
Where is our trust? Who, and what, are we trusting?
God wants us to TRUST Him…
Trust is something most people have difficulty with…
You’ve been hurt too many times. Lies have destroyed your trust. To trust would mean you have to be vulnerable to someone and your walls are too thick and too tall and too wide to ever do that.
Without trust, our walk with God and other relationships suffer.
If you have “trust issues” and you have a DTA attitude… (Don’t trust anyone) it’s going to be difficult for you to put your trust in God or another person. Your relationships will be built at arm’s length. Suspicions and doubt will be your best friends, always looking for the catch and you’ll never be at peace with yourself or anyone. When someone says, “I love you.” You won’t believe them. You’ll be thinking, “What’s their motive?” And it will leave others feeling as if they can’t trust you either.
We can’t always trust people. They will let you down, they will hurt you, and deceive you it is the nature of man…but You Can, Trust, God…He will never leave you, never abandon you, never deceive you…What He says He means…He is always True, always faithful, He never changes, He keeps His word.
With so much negative in the world today, it is no wonder that people can’t trust…there was a time when a person’s word, was their bond. A hand shake was all it took for a business deal. Now it takes contracts and a massive amount of paperwork and still that doesn’t guarantee anything.
What is trust anyway? The dictionary says…. Trust is reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence. 2. Confident expectation of something; hope.
You can see it engraved on America’s currency… “In God we trust.” Generations ago the American people, did, trust in God. Do we still trust in Him today?
We often hear the words, “Trust me.” When we hear that now, we almost always get a twinge in our gut that says, never trust someone who says, “Trust me.”
I wonder why that is.
Trust is faith. It is built upon truth…it can be earned and it can be broken.
Trust is not deceptive. Trust is like iron. It will stand the test of time. Trust is confidence. Trust is sure, steadfast. Trust is a promise; trust says, your word is strong and does not lie.
When trust is broken; then it has no value. Your word becomes worthless.
Where is trust today?
The only sure trust is God.
Yes we all have “trust issues” but really it’s a heart issue.
God hear my cry….
Sincerity and truth are what you require; fill my mind with your wisdom. Remove my sin, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness; and though you have crushed me and broken me, I will be happy once again. Close your eyes to my sins and wipe out all my evil.
Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me. Do not banish me from your presence; do not take your holy spirit away from me. Give me again the joy that comes from your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach sinners your commands, and they will turn back to you.
Spare my life, O God, and save me, and I will gladly proclaim your righteousness. Help me to speak, Lord, and I will praise you. Psalm 51:6-15 Good News Translation (GNT) A Prayer for Forgiveness
~M.S. O’Neill December 14, 2017
Isaiah 26:1-4New King James Version (NKJV)
A Song of Salvation
In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.
The Crushed Red Rose
There in the rubble…
Broken glass, shattered rocks and debris
All in a pile of destruction, lying in front of me…
I hang my head and cry…
Remembering the prophecy…
Tears fall upon the city streets
No laughter, no one there to greet…
No priests, no sacrificial lamb
The Holy Place, only a trace
Of what once was God’s dwelling place.
The Son of God you led to die, upon the splintered pole
Not knowing then, that it was Him, who came to make you whole…
Seventy years of shedding blood
In vain you sacrificed…
Messiah came, but you did not recognize
It was He, who paid the price…
Standing now on broken ground
One, single, red rose, I see…
Lying there, reminding me, that Jesus died on Calvary…
The crushed, red, rose, like blood I see, staining his hands and feet,
Forgiving you forgiving me…
Head bowed, it is finished; it is complete…
From generation to generation, this will be the symbol of His love, sacred and sweet.
The fragrance of the red rose rising upon the wind…
Jesus mending broken hearts, and building life again!
Walking among the rubble, smiling, now I know…
Jesus is my savior, the crushed, fragrant, red rose!
~M.S. O’Neill December 13, 2017
Matthew 24:1-2 King James Version (KJV) And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Song of Solomon 2: 1 King James Version (KJV) I am the rose of Sharon,
The Remnant
Cut away from the whole, is the remnant
That piece that will not be discarded, it will not rot, nor fray
It is the part that will remain, come what may…
When persecuted and mocked, in humility, the remnant will stay
Faithful, trustworthy, immovable, the remnant will show the way…
For they are the left-overs cast to the side, yet, they are chosen,
And, they pray…
They do not compromise, do not back down, tossed to the side, not meant for use…
But God loves them anyway…
In the midst of chaos and destruction… it’s the remnant that stays, strong
Even when the best of men, fall, and do what’s wrong
The remnant brings the God-song…
We will not bow or bend our knees to Satan’s fowl strategies
Our Father God is who we serve, we will guard the truth as He preserves, our souls. We are heaven bound, for heaven, is, our blessed goal…pointing souls to Calvary…
Wrought by blood and water, which poured from the Lord’s body, hung upon a tree, there, He restored our victory…
Only a remnant left from the veil, torn by God, to sever Hell…
They remain in the earth His story to tell…
We may not be popular, or, invited to Society’s ball, but by God’s grace we have heeded the call…
We are sown to the robe of Christ…A New Creation, a Holy Nation, a Royal Priesthood; we stand side-by-side, where angels trod…
We are the remnant of God!!!
~M.S. O’NEILL December 12, 2017
But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Romans 11:4-5 KJV
Make God’s Voice the Loudest Voice you Hear
Being a woman of some years, I’ve learned a few lessons that I think may be helpful to you.
Here’s one I’d like to share. I received a miracle yesterday at my place of worship, “Church.” Let me just say this first. Times certainly are different, from when I was growing up, so my perspective will be a little different from “society’s views” in today’s world.
Saying that, let me begin.
I know what it is to grow up in a broken, dysfunctional home and from the time I was two-and-a-half years old, to age nine I didn’t know the security or love of a ‘daddy.’ My parents divorced and my dad moved away. I’m not condemning my parents. I’ve dealt with all that many years ago and I love them dearly, they did the best they could in what they knew.
When I was nine, my mom remarried and for 42 years I called my step-dad, ‘Dad.’ He did the best he could and tried hard to give us a good life. Functional somewhat…secure…and we had structure. He took on a lot, taking a wife and her three children, instant family. It wasn’t easy and for that I applaud him and I love him.
Without going through all the good, the bad and the ugly of life, let me just say, everyone, has “stuff” they have to deal with, but for the most part I think I’ve dealt with most of the junk I experienced but it has taken the help of God and lots of prayer. I’ve forgiven, and let go of lots and lots of heartache. But yesterday as I sat and listened to my pastor bring a message that was straight from God’s lips to our hearts…I wept…it was all I could do, not to totally break down…but my weeping was for the realization that I have a daddy…someone who loves me in spite of all my mess-up’s…who has seen me struggle and make so many wrong decisions and caused much disappointment but He loves me anyway and forgives me and holds none of it against me and he doesn’t even remember it…I felt like I could never have my mom, or, my dad’s approval but yesterday through my Pastor, God said, “I am proud of you…” Oh how I cried…thinking about how for years the enemy’s voice in my head was so loud I could barely hear God’s voice…but yesterday Pastor Scott brought a message that has changed my life…because of God speaking through him…I could hear my Daddy God saying…loud and clear… “I am not angry with you.” Since my mom’s death, I haven’t had the assurance of knowing she was not angry with me, until yesterday. I believe that one reason I was so sick recently, is because I listened and kept believing the enemy’s lies…but yesterday healing began…God said, “I believe in you…I know you fully and I still chose you and called you.” I’ve tried to live up to what I thought would make my mom proud. Even though I have a personal relationship with the LORD, part of me, even at this age, I constantly longed for her approval. “See Mom, I’m living my life for God. I’m going to Church, I’m writing for God, I’m on the prayer team, I study God’s word and I’m witnessing for Jesus. Aren’t you proud of me, Mom?” I wanted to please God, but I was miserable and hurting. I mean don’t get me wrong I love the Lord with all my heart and serving him is want I long to do. But I couldn’t find His Joy in my heart because without really knowing it, I was trying to please my mom.
Then God said, through Pastor Scott, “Thank you for serving me…”
He said, “You are more valuable to me than your ministry…Don’t compare yourself to others because I don’t. Don’t give up on yourself; I haven’t given up on you.”
He said, “I don’t see you like you see yourself. You don’t feel about yourself what I feel about you. I have so much more for you than you are currently experiencing. You are my child not my slave.”
I think sometimes in ministry people begin to just go through the motions of serving and it begins to feel like work and the love and blessing of doing for God becomes a burden and a chore. We listen to the enemy’s voice and it becomes louder than God’s voice.
God said, “Enjoy my love and acceptance. Don’t try to earn what you already have. I will help you carry those burdens if you will give them to me. I have your future in my hands so enjoy your present.”
But as I sat there listening to God say these things all I could think about was how I’ve messed up in life, hurt people, not meaning too but the enemy’s words were loud and accuse me every single day. Words of death and destruction, because that is what he does. The more I listened to the enemy, the sicker I became…for months now the Holy Spirit has been saying to me, “Read my word.” Each time I would ask God to help me he’d say, “Read my word.” Not demanding, but gently he’d say, “Read my word.” And then yesterday through a message Pastor Scott gave because of a time in his life, God spoke these things to him and he said it was for us too…God said, “You are special to me…”
I was set free…free from the past…free from wanting my mom’s approval…free from the grips of Satan’s lies…and accusations…
Pastor Scott said, “Make God’s voice the loudest voice in your head…”
I understood then why God had been telling me to read his word…His word dispels the darkness, it sets those in bondage free, it heals diseases and gives the body, mind and soul new life…when we are reading God’s word it shuts the mouths of all other voices and fills us with the truth and not lies…but we have to listen…Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the WORD OF GOD!!
If you are hurting and afraid, if you are wondering in a desert and doubts and confusion and sickness and worry has you bound up in knots and shackles…Read and hear what God, your daddy is saying to you today.
Read:
Ephesians 3:18
Revelation 19:7-9/2 Timothy 4:7
Luke 15:2 Corinthians 5:19
Philippians 1:6
Ephesians 1:4
Revelation 19:6-8 and Revelation 22:12
Luke 15
I Corinthians 12
Romans 8:38/Philippians 1:6
Ephesians 5:27/Colossians 1:22/I Samuel 16:7
Ephesians 3:20/Galatians 5:22/Romans 8:11
John 12
Matthew 11:28/Matthew 28:20
Matthew 6:25-34/Romans 12:1-2
Luke 12:7/Psalm 139:13-18
I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE, YOU ARE MY CHILD, YOU MAKE ME HAPPY, AND YOU ARE SPECIAL TO ME!
LOVE,
YOUR DADDY GOD!!!
John 3:16
~M.S. O’Neill December 11, 2017
